Receptacle for incandescent electric lamps.



.No. 817,896. PATENTED APR. 10, 1906. A. P. SEYMOUR. REGEPTAGLE FOR INGAN-DESGENT ELECTRIC LAMPS..

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 30, 1905.

ALBERT P. SEYMOUR, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO PASS &

SEYMOUR, INCORPORATED, OF SOLVAY, NEW YORK, A CORPORA- TION OF NEW YORK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 10, 1906.

Application filed January 30, 1905. Serial No. 243,274.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALBERT P. SEYMOUR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Receptacles for Incandescent Electric Lamps; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. a

My invention relates to receptacles for incandescent electric lamps, and has for its object to produce a receptacle of strong and simple construction, in which the metallic parts are well supported and protected and 'which may be easily installed, adapting it for temporary use, as for decorative illumination. Its essential features are an insulating supporting-base, preferably made in two parts and composed of a cap and a body, as here shown. It is provided with grooves, channels, or some e uivalent having external openings in which t e conductors may be arranged easily without separatin or disturbing the relation of the cap an body after the receptacle has been initiall assembled. Screws are provided, respective y, in the opposite legs of the circuit, which engage with the respective conductors to make electrical connection therewith and firmly to secure the receptacle in position.

In the drawings I have illustrated a desirable embodiment of my invention, in which the reference-numerals of the specification indicate the corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figures I and II are vertical sections at right angles to each other. Fig. III is a side elevation. Figs. IV and V are isometric views of the body and cap separated, the cap being inverted. Fig. VI is a vertical section of a modified form of my device.

1 indicates the body, and 2 the base or cap, made of porcelain or other suitable insulating material.

3 and 4 indicate suitable lamp-terminals arranged on the body, here provided with the usual mouth 5 to receive the lamp-base.

6 and 7 are respectively the wire terminal pieces of any suitable form and arrangement. Here. the outer lamp-terminal 3 is in the form of a copper or brass threaded shell secured to the terminal piece 6 by screws 9 9, which act both as electric conductors and as securing-screws for the two parts, clamping them bothto the bod This terminal piece 6 may be formed with forked ends arranged in cut-outs 10 in the upper surface of the bod Central terminal 4 is the head of the sing e screw 11, which is also an electric conductor in the other leg of the circuit, and the mechanical means for securing in place on abutment 12 the second terminal piece 7 and also for connecting the cap to the body for instance, by engagement with nut 14, ar-

ran ed in recess 15 in the top of the cap and preferably covered by insulating cement or other insulating material. The cap on its lower surface is provided with suitable parallel channels 17 17, having external openings to receive the conductors 18, the terminal pieces 6 and 7 being formed to correspond to the grooves and fitted to beds or recesses 20. The upper surface of the cap is preferablp domed, and its lower surface is formed wit wall 22, fitting cut-outs 10 and abutment 12,

positively to separate and insulate the two terminal pieces and with a depending margin 26 to protect the upper portion of the ody and the metallic parts.

indicates grooves in the margin to receive and permit access to the heads of the screws 27 27, arranged in the outer ends ofthe terminal pieces, and 23 indicates the lips or portions of the margin between the channels. To en age with a naked wire, these screws could have blunt tips; but as conductors for these purposes are now commonly inclosed in insulating material the screws should be pointed to perforate the insulation and to engage with the wire in the interior or to penetrate between the strands of the usual stranded conductor. At 29 29 the upper portion of the body is beveled or cut away to permit the conductors easily to be arranged in the channels.

32 is a washer with resilient ends, which may be arranged on terminal 4 for making a good contact with the base of the lamp, and 33 a mica washer also arranged on said terminal to insure insulation from outer lampterminal 3.

In the first five figures of the drawings I have illustrated my preferred form of receptacle, in which the contact-screws are conveniently operated from the sides; but in Fig. VI, I have shown a sim )le modification in the form of the arts, and particularly in the arrangement 0 said screws, which may be more convenient for certain uses and locations. Here the terminal pieces are of slightl -difl"erent form and arranged against the sid cs of the body, so that the screws in their ends are inclined down and out. Beds 20 and grooves 25 in the ca may be omitted.

I have shown a desirable construction of receptacle, but do not desire to limit myself to the form and arrangement of parts shown, as they may be varied without departing from the spirit of my invention.

It will be understood that my receptacle is particularly adapted for the use for which it is intended, because when installing it is not necessary to separate the body from the cap. The conductors or cables may be laid parallel on the floor or elsewhere and my receptacles quickly connected thereto merely by arranging one conductor in its channel and tightening the corresponding screw, which perforates the insulating material and makes ood contact with the wire in the interior wit out stripping, or if the conductors are strung in the air the installer can move along from place to place, carrying a supply of receptacles, connect each receptacle to one conductor, as aforesaid, whereby the receptacle is securely supported, and then connect to the other conductor, all without separatingthe parts and in the most convenient way, whether the current is turned off or on. The domed cap tends to shed water falling from above, and its margin protects the terminals from'the weather and from accidental contact and short circuits. By the arrangement of the terminal ieces moisture flowing down the wires would with difficulty flow into the interior of the receptacle, causing leakage of current or short circuit.

My receptacle is simple and economical to construct and install. It is compact, so that the conductors are firmly secured near the center, and et all parts well insulated. It is easily insta led, easily detached, and easily rearranged, all without injuring the device itself or the conductors.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an incandescent-electric-lam receptacle, the combination with a porce ain cap and body, having channels for the conductors, and in combination therewith, wire-terminal pieces secured between the ca and body and fitting the channels, an outerlampterminal on the body, screws connecting said outer terminal to one terminal piece, a single screw forming the central lamp-terminal and engaging with the op and also securing the ody to the cap, and

osite terminal piece,

pointed screws arranged in the ends of the respective terminal pieces, adapted to make connection with the conductors arranged in the channels and to secure the receptacle in position.

2. In an incandescent-clectric-lamp receptacle for tern with a porcelain cap and body, the cap being domed on its upper surface, and on its lower surface having a'depending margin, parallel channels for the conductors, and in combination therewith, wire-terminal pieces secured between the cap and body and fitting to cor respond to the channels, an outer lamp-terminal on the body, screws connecting said outer terminal to one terminal piece, a single screw forming the central lamp-terminal and engaging with the opposite terminal piece, and also securing the body to the cap, and pointed screws arranged in the ends of the res ective terminal pieces and adapted to ma e connection with the conductors arranged in the channels and to secure the receptacle in position.

3. In an incandescent-electric-lamp receptacle for temporary use, the combination with a porcelain cap and body, the cap on its lower surface having parallel channels on opposite sides for the conductors, recesses for the terminal pieces and an angular wall between said recesses, the body being beveled on its upper portion parallel to the channels and having cut-outs and an abutment to fit said wall and with a mouth for the lamp-terminals, and in combination therewith, wireterminal pieces secured between the cap and body and fitting the respective channels and recesses, an outer lamp-terminal in the mouth, screws connecting said outer terminal to one terminal piece, having its forked ends arranged in said cut-outs, said screws securing said terminal and terminal piece in position, a sin le screw forming the central lamp-termina and engaging with the opposite terminal piece arranged on the abutment and also engaging with the ca and pointed screws arranged in the ends 0 the respective terminal pieces and adapted to make connection with the conductors arranged in the channels and to secure the rece tacle in position, substantially as describe and shown.

4. In an incandescent-electric-lamp receptacle for temporary use, the combination with a porcelain cap and body, the cap being domed on its upper surface, and having a depending margin on its lower, parallel channels on opposite sides for the conductors, grooves in the margin for the connectingscrews, recesses registering with said grooves for the terminal pieces and an angular wall between said recesses, the bod being beveled on its upper portion paralle to the channels and having cut-outs and an abutment to fit said wall and with a mouth for the lam terminals, and in combination therewitli,

orary use, the combination wire-terminal pieces secured between the cap and body and fitting the respective recesses, an outer lamp-terminal in the mouth, screws connecting said outer terminal to one terminal piece having forked ends arranged in said cut-outs, said screws securing said terminal and terminal piece in position, a single screw formin the central lamp-terminal and engaging witl a the opposite terminal piece arran ed on said abutment and also engaging with a nut arranged in depression in the upper surface of the cap to secure the body to the cap, and pointed connecting-screws arranged in the ends of the respective terminal pieces and adapted to make connection with the conductors arranged in the channels and to secure the receptacle in position, substantially as described and shown'.

5. In a receptacle, the combination with a porcelain cap and body havin channels for the line-wires, of lamp-terminals on the body, wire-terminals on the body, screws connecting the lamp-terminals respectively to the wire terminals, one of said screws being ada ted to engage with the cap, and screws on t e wire-terminals to engage with the linewires.

6. In a receptacle, porcelain cap and body,

site channels for the line-wires,

the combination with a formed with oppomeans to connect the cap and body, said channels having openings extending downwardly and outwardl between the cap and body whereby the wlres may be arranged in the respective channels without changing the relation of the cap and body, of screws secured on the porcelain parts and adapted to engage with the linewires.

7. In a receptacle, the combination with a cap and body of insulating material, the cap being of larger diameter than the body and having a dependin margin, and said cap being formedwith si e channels openin downwardly and outwardly to receive tl ie linewires,,lamp-terminals on the body, wire-termin als arran ed adjacent respectively to the channels an connected respectively to the lamp-terminals, and screws on the wire-terminals to engage with the line-wires.

8. In a receptacle, the combination with a porcelain supportin portion havin downwardly and outwardI inclined, paral el, open channels for the con uctingwires, said channels being arranged at a right angle to the axis of the receptacle, lamp-terminals on the porcelain portion, and screws connected to the respective lamp-terminals and adapted to enga e with the Wires, whereby the wires can be aid freel in the channels when the screws are turne back.

9. In a receptacle, the combination with a cap and body of insulating material, lampterminals on the body, means to secure the cap to the body, said device being provided with laterally-open channels between the cap and body to receive the conducting-wires after the cap and body have been connected in operative position and without disturbing their relation, and screws connected to therespective lamp-terminals to engage with the respective wires.

10. In a device of the character described, the combination with a base of insulating material formed with two externally-open, straight, parallel channels, arranged one on each side of the base to receive the respective line-wires, and to revent the device twisting on the wires, of wire-terminals arranged one adjacent to each channel, means for connecting the wire-terminals to a translating device, and screws supported in the wire-terminals and adapted to be turned to engage by their tips with the line-wires, whereby the device is sup orted in position and connection made wit the line-wires.

11. In a device of the character described, the combination with a cap and body of insu lating material forming a two-part supporting-base, havin outwardlyopen, parallel channels formed between the cap and the body to receive the line-wires, of means to secure the body to the base, wire-terminals arranged one on each side adjacent to the res ective channels and within the periphery of the base, and of screws arranged in t e wireterminals and adapted to en age by their tips with the line-wires, where y the device is simultaneously supported in osition and electrical connection is made with the linewires.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT P. SEYMOUR.

Witnesses:

LAMONT STILWELL, S. J. KELLY.

iOO 

